Mad Tiger

A wild documentary that captures the internal tensions in a crazy, anything-goes punk rock band called Peelander-Z, Mad Tiger (named for one of the group's songs) tells a story of aging musicians growing up and growing apart. Although Peelander-Z is made up of Japanese players who barely speak English, their base is New York City, where they are a hit with club audiences who come to watch the band (in their color-coded costumes and hair) as they generally get—as Peelander Pink (the only female member) puts it—“stupid” on stage. Performance antics include a squid costume, a unicycle, and band leader Yellow (Kengo Hioki) being tossed about violently on stage and then thrown, like a bowling ball, into a set of pins. Hioki's longtime best friend and foil, Red (Kotaro Tsukada), receives his share of bumps and bruises, too, and even if Peelander-Z's music doesn't amount to much, their sense of abandon is entertaining. Things change after 15 years, however, when Tsukada gets married and wants to leave the band and open his own bar. Behind the passive bassist's decision is a long-simmering frustration with alpha-male Hioki's dominating personality. When another member of Peelander-Z later opts out, and a newcomer quits after one tour, Hioki, now 45, knows something is wrong—and that maybe he's the problem. An engaging portrait of an offbeat band, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)